


Under My Skin

by Abracadaver



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Keith x Lance - Freeform, Keitor, Lance x Keith, Lancelot - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Voltron au, keith kogane - Freeform, keith x lotor, klance, lotor x keith, prince lotor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 12:20:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12531216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abracadaver/pseuds/Abracadaver
Summary: When you've got it all, you have everything to loose. A voltron fanfiction taking place in the canon universe.





	Under My Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, please let me know if you would like me to continue writing this! Just an idea rolling around in my head for a while so i decided to write it out.

“What’re you talking about?” Keith restrained the urge to huff in annoyance, what was going on with lance? But before the he could follow this train of thought further, Lance was forcefully bringing Keith’s focus back to him.  
“This isn’t a participation game, this is war, you want your best soldiers on the front lines!” Despite how much he loved Red...Blue...Lance felt his fists reflexively clench, as he all but forfeit his station as a paladin. But he couldn’t stand it...losing Shiro had been hard, the whole team has been in disarray for months. Then finally..finally they found a harmony. A moment of tranquility in the chaos, every lion had a paladin, and they had a new leader. Sure, it was Keith, not him..but the lions knew best, despite how much his heart had seized, as black denied him, in some misguided sense of failure as he sat in a seat that was never meant for him. Then Shiro came back and he was sure he’d never felt such sudden relief and happiness before in his life. But then...slowly, like the feeling you get when you know you’ve forgotten something, the nagging uncertainty pulled at his mind until it hit him...there were not enough lions for how many paladins they had now.

Keith’s eyebrows furrowed as he glanced over the rigid form of his second before him, the anguish he no doubt felt, visibly made Lance’s fists shake. But the fearlessness in his blue eyes gave Keith pause. Lance had grown so much as a paladin and as a person since the garrison. More than fit to be the paladin of the Red Lion. Keith scoffed and pulled Lance back from his thoughts, just as forcefully as Lance has pulled him from his own just moments before, “Stop worrying about who’s flying what, just focus on your missions, things will work themselves out.” Keith took a breath, letting his eyes glance over his friend for a moment, trying to ascertain if his statement had found its intended mark and purpose. He was never good with people, being reassuring or comforting, but he had tried..for Lance..his friend, he could find the strength to try even as his heart pounded in uncertainty at Lance’s response. 

A moment passed in silence, Lance’s eyes ever leaving his own, and suddenly Keith’s room felt infinitely smaller than it had before. 

Then, a soft laugh and a small smile broke the tension that had seemed to paralyze Lance’s body, slowly his shoulders returned to their comfortable slump and his hands found safe purchase within the well-worn pockets of his jeans, “Okay..thanks, buddy.” Lance responded quietly, the same small smile, turning he began to leave. A resulting warmth spread through Keith’s chest at his friend’s acceptance of his comfort- as densely veiled as it was- perhaps Lance was really starting to understand him after all this time. Keith looked up at his white ceiling, a small laugh escaping his lips, before looking back at Lance’s retreating form, “Oh, and lance?” he said, a smile playing on his lips as the Red Paladin looked back with the bluest eyes he’d ever seen, “Leave the math to pidge.” 

Lance laughed and waved back as he walked out of Keith’s room. The door shut and Keith stared at the door where lance had been just moments before. The same, oddly warm smile on his lips.  
Who would have thought you of all people would get me? He wondered.  
Xxx.

The moment in Keith’s room had been months ago now, the black lion had maintained her connection with Keith, and Shiro comfortably took up command from the control room with Coran. Their missions lead them across the galaxy to new planets and systems. The ongoing battle with the vestiges of the Galran empire still causing ripples of dissent with throughout the universe. Despite losing their leader, Zarkon, the empire still held strong, trying to push back against the Voltron Coalition. The emergence of Lotor certainly hadn’t made their jobs any easier. 

“He’s so condescending and rude,” Pidge grumbled, as she trudged down the hallway from the training room with Lance, Keith, and Hunk. 

Lance cocked a bemused eyebrow at his friend’s exclaimation, their training program had been based on prior experiences, uploaded from the castle. The last scenario they faced was against Lotor. The ship must’ve cataloged his voice from his transmissions with them a few months back. Keith just shrugged his shoulders, his hand slipping into his training sweats, pulling out his grey transgalactic phone, violet eyes skimming through whatever he had pulled up on his screen. Hunk just laughed, “I mean he is EVIL, Pidge, maybe his mom didn’t hug him enough back in the day.”

Lance snorted, looking up from his orange cellphone, just in time to see Pidge stick her tongue out at Hunk and say, “Yeah I got a hug for him..”

“And what does that mean, Pidgeot?” Lance quipped, leaning playfully onto her head with is elbow, slapping lance away she retorted, “It means I’m going to wreck his world with my bayard next time I see him.”

Lance’s playful smile, twisted into a mischievous smirk as he leaned closer, “Ooo gonna wreck his worl-”

Before he could finish, Pidge slapped him with her sweaty workout towel across his face, as she stopped at her room. Sputtering, Lance stumbled backwards,spitting and wiping at his face in abject horror. “Woah, specs, that was just uncalled for!” he exclaimed as he continued to wipe at his face. Pidge just leveled him with a unamused stare, “See you guys later.” She deadpanned, but a small smirk quirked onto her lips as her door slide shut.

Keith just glanced up from his phone as Lance continued to dramatically swipe at his face. Hunk just smiled and then spoke up, “So I’m thinking about making something special for dinner tonight, if you guys want to join, I picked up some really amazing ingredients after our last mission on planet thyreion, you guys game?”

Keith shurgged, that was a yes.  
Lance huffed dramatically as he pulled his face from his towel.  
“Yeah, Hunk that sounds cool,” Lance said with slight enthusiasm. Clearly all he really wanted was an immediate shower.

Xxx.

Hunk had waved the two paladins off as he headed to his own quarters, saying he’d see them at dinner. Keith and Lance continued their trudge back to their rooms. Both rooming farthest from the training hall.Settling his towel back across his shoulders, Lance glanced over at his friend, clad in all black sweats, shoes, and sleeveless tee. Quirking his lips awkwardly as he looked back down at his cellphone, his mind still on the image of Keith’s defined arms, he’d really started to fill out over the last few months. Embarrassed as he was to admit it, Lance had started to notice, and he more than admired the cut slope of Keith’s shoulders. It had all started that night he’d gone to talk to Keith about their positions on Voltron. Small at first, a bubbling close friendship, he thought..but as the days, weeks, and months went by Lance became aware what he was feeling was more than..friendship.  
The elegant slope of keith’s neck when he turned just the right way, the way he would try to not laugh or hide his smile but in the end would fail at both, or his broad shoulders and narrow hips. He was smaller than Shiro but lined with tight, slim muscles that had lance feeling all the wrong things for just a friend.  
He hazarded another glance at keith, his violet eyes stared down at the screen in his hand, and lance cleared his throat, “So we have some time off till our next mission..looks like..” Lance said.

Keith glanced up, sliding his cell immediately into his pocket, “Yeah, seems like, I spoke with Shiro and Coran this morning. If we play are cards right and theres no emergencies, yeah, we’re not set to appear at another coalition event till next wednesday.” Keith seemed to disapear back into his head after that. Trying to hide his frown, Lance didn’t know how more obvious he could be. Stopping at the door to his room, he turned back to Keith, hands stuffed into the pockets of his loose sweats, eyebrows raised as he paused, planning on continuing back to his room to shower, “Whats up, Lance?” he asked.

Lance grinned broadly, placing his hand on Keith’s shoulder, “Well, I was thinking of hitting up that planet we were on a few missions back with that awesome city with all the stores, if you wanna join.”

Keith paused, thinking back, Lance had to mean planet Cerberus, their downtown area was bright, vividly shining with florescent signs, bubbling with people of all different races and planets, walked down streets lined with bars, restaurants, and stores of all types.

“Yeah, sure, when were you thinking of going?” Keith asked, offhandedly, waiting comfortably beneath the weight of Lance’s hand. 

Lance grinned bigger, a confidence settling in his blue eyes, pulling his hand away a tapping the button to his room, he stepped in, 

“Tomorrow night.”

Xxx.

The downtown district of Yoru on planet Cerberus was much larger than keith remembered. It expanded like a sprawling, dystopian metropolis filled with the fluorescent flashing signs of pleasure houses, ramen cafes, karaoke bars, and high tech service bars of every imaginable device. Lance enthusiastically lead the way through the crowded streets and light rain that seemed to never end or actually become more than a light drizzle. They’d left their lions on the outskirts of the city as to not attract attention, and used a small land cruising ship keith had stowed away in Black to get to Yoru District. Now here, Keith couldn’t stop himself from gaping at all the flashing signs of steaming bowls of noodle, ads of gorgeous pink skinned women curving a seductive finger at the viewer, and full holographic models of various men and women selling something on the storefront above. 

“Hey!” Lance yelled, a few steps in front of him, “Don’t fall behind, if we seperate I’ll never find you till we head back to the ship, come on it's this way!” 

“What’s this way?” Keith questioned, Lance just grumbled at his friend’s stubborn resistance for spontaneous fun, grabbing keith’s wrist he tugged him till his was walking shoulder to shoulder with him. Smirking he looked down at Keith, a small pout making Keith’s bottom lip stick out adorably, “Don’t worry this place is supposed to be awesome, Coran recommended it, and before you say anything I did my research and it does actually seem cool,” Lance laughed, as at Keith’s pout turning into a look of utter disbelief and slight fear at a recommendation coming from Coran.  
“Tch, if you say so, will this place have food, I’m starving..” Keith grumbled as he walked past a particularly nice ramen house with delicious scents making his mouth water.  
“They better!” Lance pointed back at the ramen house the passed by, “because that place smelled heavenly.” Lance grumbled equally, looking back, longingly, at this keith laughed and both of them found their walk to the destination easier in shared agony of hunger. 

Xxx.

“Hey, I’m gonna look for the restrooms, be back in a second okay?” Lance said, as he motioned towards deeper into the bar. Keith nodded and took another large mouthful of ramen and crammed it into his mouth. Lance just smirked and gave him a slightly judgemental look as he watched his friend begin to devour his second bowl of ramen, “Dude, where do you put it all?” Lance muttered, shaking his head as he stepped away. It certainly wasn’t the type of meal he prefered back on earth, but Keith was damned if he was passing up a chance to treat himself to some delicious ramen. Slipping his phone from his trousers, he placed it next to his bowl, swiping aimlessly through the intergalactic news feed as he shoved another mouthful of ramen into his mouth.Caught in a particularly interesting article on weapons control in the the orion system, Keith didn’t look up as he heard the seat to his right slid back as someone took it to sit down, too immersed in the text to give a damn. It was only as he finished his ramen, completely satisfied with this trip purely based on consuming a food that was not goo-based, that he noticed the tall, slender man sitting to his right.  
Galran..Keith’s eyes scanned his quickly before catching the bartender’s attention, “excuse me sir, could I order another? Thanks.” he said as he handed his empty bowl to the large man behind the counter.  
“I would advise against that, if I were you.”  
Keith turned to the man to his right, eyebrows raised, “excuse me?” Keith questioned, rather sharply.  
The man turned to him, one arm leaning against the bar, his head leaning comfortably against his hand, “I only meant the food here expands at an alarming rate inside your stomach. You should feel full within moments, it’s Gera’s specialty. Instant full ramen, I believe is the food’s name?”  
Keith’s eyebrow’s furrowed slightly, but just as the man said, his stomach felt instantly heavy, “wow...yeah i guess it meant literally…” Keith muttered, turning to motion to the bartender and canceling his order.  
“Uh, thanks I guess, it would really suck to throw up mid flight.” Keith said turning back to the man next to him.  
“Of course, anytime,” the deep, sweet cadence of the man’s voice reminded keith of the dialects of people from england back on earth. “Is this your first time in Yoru?” he asked casually, as he took a sip from a large dark beverage keith was certain was alcoholic.  
“Yeah, actually, my friend and I decided to check it out tonight, it’s amazing.” keith responded, turning his chair to face the man. He was tall, much taller than Lance, slender but obviously built, his hair was thick and white, tied back in a loose braid, and his skin was a light lavender. Taking in the man’s casual attire of slacks and a leather-esque jacket, he couldn’t tell if the man was a soldier of some sort or not.  
“Where’s your friend?” he inquired, taking a few large sips from his drink, almost draining it. Pulling the glass from his lips, a casual smile curved his lips, making Keith glance back up from the man’s mouth, momentarily making eye contact with him. Keith fought back the intense feeling of embarrassment and the warmth rising in his neck at the confident curve this man’s mouth or the bearing of a leader that set his shoulders comfortably, reminding him vaguely of Shiro.  
Keep it together, Kogane! He thought, angry at his own drifting focus and distracted mind.

“He went to search for a restroom but,” Keith glanced around and didn’t see Lance anywhere, “ I guess he got lost..” he finished, wondering if he should leave the bar and look for his companion. But was pulled from his thoughts from the melodic cadence of the man’s laugh, “Yes, well that happens quite often here. This is the largest bar in Yuro, the Solar Crescent is after all known throughout the galaxy. No doubt, he ran into some new friends and is simply waylaid in his return.” The man smiled warmly, his unmistakably Galaran yellow eyes closing briefly, shifting in his seat he sat at full height to crack his neck. Leaning closer to Keith, very slightly, he fixed the black paladin with bewitching, mischievous smirk, “How would you like to see something amazing?”

Keith leaned back slightly, his eyes not leaving those bright blue and yellow a foot from him, his brain stuttered at the forward nature of this stranger. 

“Uh- well, I should stay here and wait for my friend..” he said uncertainly. The man just smiled and stood, holding a hand out to Keith to take, “Worry not, I’m simply taking you to the balcony just behind you.”

Keith turned and looked back, a wide set of glass doors leading to a balcony stood behind him, tinted black he could not see through them, looking back he planned to decline, end the conversation, and go back to his news scrolling on his phone till Lance returned. But then the man was inches from his face, his long slender fingers gently grasping his chin. Their eyes locked and Keith was uncertain if he looked livid or shocked, but he was certainly a cross between the two.

“Your friend has eyes, does he not? Has he feet to walk with? Why are you sitting at this bar alone when you could be experiencing something new and far more exciting than the crowded room of a bar?”

He had a point. Keith went to pull his chin from the man’s grasp, but the man had let go and began to walk around him.

“I’ll be outside if you care to join, if you dare.” 

And with that he walked to the sliding doors, a spectacular view of a blue red sky tempted Keith for a moment before the doors swiftly shut behind the man.

Glancing back around the bar and seeing Lance nowhere he picked up his cell from the bar and quickly texted him. Telling him to meet him on the balcony, and with that Keith stepped away from the bar and walked toward the balcony doors, sliding open to reveal the tall, dangerous man...keith considered, as he took in the breathtaking view and the strong, confident shoulders of the stranger in front of him.

Either Way, Keith never turned down a dare, he smirked back at the stranger, the balcony door slide close behind him.

Xxx.

Lance glanced at his phone and frowned. He had texted Keith over an hour ago and still no response. Tossing his phone to the end of his bed, Lance huffed and flopped backwards onto his bed. Their adventure to Cerberus had been fun but he and Keith ended up spending most of their night in the Solar Crescent with strangers. He’d found the space equivalent of a Foosball table and got immensely distracted. He and Keith had met up at the exit and walked back to their cruiser and then lions talking about their nights. Keith had apparently met a few cool people and just hung on the balcony all night. And everything had seemed cool to Lance. Aside from spending no actual time with Keith like he’d initially wanted, the night had been good, and so when they flew back to the castle in their respective lions Lance felt good.  
But ever since then his messages with keith became less and less, and even post mission training and work felt like...actual work and keith just seemed distracted. Pouting, Lance ran a hand through his mess of brown hair and sighed.

I thought I was finally starting to understand him.. He wasn’t aware of how sad his blue eyes looked or the deep set frown that curved his mouth down, a rarity, but lance did feel the painful throb in his heart as he realization that a distance was settling between him and Keith.

And he had no idea why.

Xxx.

Keith flipped over in his bed as his phone buzzed, smiling he opened the texted, and laughed. Texting back quickly and pressing send he jumped out of his bed and slid into a pair of black jeans, his boots, and a black and silver hoodie. Snatching his phone he shoved it into his pocket as he walked toward the hanger to his lion. Halfway there his phone buzzed again, slipping it out of his back pocket Keith smiled, at the text he received from a contact labeled ‘Lotor’.

Xxx.


End file.
